Atlanta Business Chronicle - by Lori Johnston Contributing Writer

As a public institution, the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta has limitations on contributing money to nonprofits. That's why its employees feel strongly about giving time to organizations that focus on three areas ­-- education, work-force development, and health and human services.

The bank has 40 planned volunteer activities this year, up from 10 when its formal community outreach efforts began.

"We've been able to grow in the size and scope of our program fourfold over 10 years," said Tim Smith, assistant vice president and community relations officer.

In 2006, the bank's 760 volunteers managed 33 projects, which are selected by a volunteer advisory committee comprising more than 20 employees across all levels and departments. That totaled 2,700 hours of volunteer service, which equals about $50,000 worth of service, Smith said. Also, 51 employees serve on 89 local nonprofit boards.

The success of the Federal Reserve Bank's volunteer efforts has earned it this year's IMPACT (Involvement Means People Acting Together) Award, scheduled to be given by the Metro Atlanta Corporate Volunteer Council at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center on Sept. 20.

"There was universal excitement when we saw that the Federal Reserve [had] won," said Linda Woodworth, MACVC director. "It's supported well across the organization. Everything about it was everything you would want."

The luncheon will honor the Federal Reserve Bank and three other companies selected by a panel of six judges for outstanding employee volunteerism efforts, as well as three local nonprofits receiving a total of $30,000 in grants from the MACVC.

Going above and beyond
Volunteer projects have become "the new company picnic," serving as avenues for employees to get to know each other while giving back to the community, the Federal Reserve Bank's Smith said.

Rita Sheffey, partner at Hunton & Williams LLP, the Emerging Program Award winner, agrees that participation in volunteer programs gives people the opportunity to gather, and as a result increases morale. The law firm is being recognized for its two-year-old staff community service committee that does at least one project a quarter.

"We couldn't be more excited," she said. "When I found out about it, I was so thrilled that it was something that recognized the staff. To be recognized for going above and beyond and making a contribution in the community, it's just amazing."

Since September 2005, the staff-initiated effort has prepared 1,500 sandwiches for the Crossroads Community Ministries soup kitchen and prepared 105 personal care packages for homeless women and children through the United Way. The group also collected 288 books for the New Orleans Public Library; gathered items for special needs infants at My House; and sent 11 boxes of items to soldiers in Iraq.

The success of the Atlanta office's efforts has caused several other offices to start similar efforts, Sheffey said.

The second time around
Second-time award winners include Alpharetta-based ChoicePoint Inc. and Atlanta-based HRworks.

ChoicePoint is being recognized for designing, implementing and funding the YWCA of Greater Atlanta's TechGyrls pilot program. The goal was to raise the interest level and awareness of technology, math and science among at-risk girls, said Ansley Colby, vice president, culture and ChoicePoint Cares.

"We really wanted to find a way to engage our volunteers in a meaningful way around their busy schedules."

The year-long program consisted of a spring job shadowing event at ChoicePoint offices, as well as additional mentoring through e-mail and face-to-face meetings. The company provided $45,000 in scholarships so about 25 girls could attend Space Camp.

About 45 middle-school girls completed the year-long program, and as it heads into its second year, 43 of the 45 girls have signed up again.

The winner of the Innovative/Collaborative Program Award is HRworks, for its annual CHARITYworks program that does more than 20 activities annually.

"For a small company to create a large impact in the community ... that has everything to do with collaboration among our own team," said Kurt Ronn, president and founder.

Since it was founded about five years ago, CHARITYworks has given more than 3,120 volunteer hours, including providing 306 meals to the elderly and homebound; 82 boxes of canned goods to Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry; 175 dress suits to a battered women's shelter; 1,200 toys to needy children; and 60 care packages and 295 cards to soldiers overseas.

Its volunteer efforts typically receive 80 percent to 90 percent participation from the staff of about 200, said Terry Long, HR consultant, who also was elected this year to run CHARITYworks.

The company has continued to change its program, which allows employees to submit ideas for groups they would like to assist.

They've learned to vary events, Ronn said. If employees are asked to participate in a weekend event one month, they may bring in school supplies the next month.

"It's possible to really exhaust people as well as money if you're not mindful of how you plan the events," he said. "We're certainly smarter at it today than we were before. We created a structure, and then we let people get involved in the structure."

Nonprofit grant winners
Woodworth notes the diversity in this year's three grant winners.

The $20,000 grant is going to help Fulton County Court Appointed Special Advocates Inc. recruit 50 corporate volunteers to serve an additional 100 children.

It needs help from folks willing to spend a couple of hours a week to be an advocate for kids who are going through the court system as a result of parental abuse and neglect through no fault of their own, said Chris Miller, who serves on the board of directors.

Last year, the organization had about 100 volunteers helping almost 439 kids.

"It wasn't more than that because we ran out of abused kids," he said. "It was because our volunteers were stretched as far as possible."

A $5,000 grant will help Families First Inc.'s Continued Corporate Sponsorship program assist 50 families next year, up from 12 in 2006, its first year. The program is an extension of its Adopt a Family/Holiday Giving Program that began in 1987 to provide for families in need during the holiday season.

Another $5,000 grant will help
English for Successful Living grow its ranks of volunteer teachers. The program, started in January 2003, provides free English classes -- and free childcare -- for about 450 immigrant adults every trimester.

"So, when you add the new students and keep the retained existing students, we touch about 1,000 adults each year," Executive Director Alex Allen said.

At this point, the group has 60 to 65 volunteer teachers, with a 1-to-20 student ratio in intro-level classes. Allen would like to reduce that ratio to 1 to 10, or even 1 to 8, with the addition of more teachers.

"We really do need to freshen and expand our ranks of volunteers," she said.

View original publication in the Atlanta Business Journal